


What if?

by Cat_Moon



Category: Moonlight (TV)
Genre: Dark, Gen, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-26 03:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19759447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat_Moon/pseuds/Cat_Moon
Summary: What might have been, if things had gone differently...





	What if?

**Author's Note:**

> Written 2008. Originally posted to the ML boards.

July 12, 2012:

Mick kept half his senses trained on the living room as he sat in his office, wrestling with a decision he didn’t want to make but had no choice. Normally he avoided taking any cases this time of the day, but his client was desperate. She thought her estranged husband was trying to kill her. Mick felt her urgency and had promised her he’d take care of it. Even after all these years, he was compelled to protect the innocent, to care for those who couldn’t do it themselves. That left him with his current dilemma, and the only choice.

He dialed Josef’s number, waiting patiently while it rang. Finally, his old friend picked up.

“What is it, Mick?”

“Why, I’m fine, nice to talk to you, too,” Mick said sarcastically, although God knows he’d strained their friendship plenty over the decades and part of him couldn’t blame Josef for being suspicious.

“It’s lovely to hear from you. It would be even lovelier if I knew you were calling because you wanted to come and party with me, not because you probably need a favor.”

“I’m sorry,” Mick replied automatically.

“Yeah, well.” Josef sighed over the phone. “I know it’s not your fault. What is it?”

“I need you to babysit.”

“What happened to your nanny?” Josef demanded.

“Her wedding anniversary,” Mick explained, trying not to flinch at the words. Some wounds never healed, even for vampires. “I gotta go meet a client. It’s important.”

“Life or death, I’m sure,” Josef guessed.

“I can stop by there on the way, or do you want to come over here?”

“You should’ve ended it years ago,” Josef told him, not without compassion in his voice. “It’s not a good thing.”

“I know,” Mick responded. It wasn’t the first time they had this conversation, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last. He wondered if his response would ever change. “I just… couldn’t.” The pain in his voice never eased either.

“I know,” Josef echoed. “I’ll come there; you know I don’t like kids around my antiques.”

“Thanks,” Mick breathed, hanging up. Despite Josef’s token protest, Mick knew he was fond of this particular child. If not, he would probably have stepped in where Mick had failed. That thought was both terrifying and appealing at the same time. The guilt chased those emotions around until he tired of it and rose.

Mick went into the living room and hunkered down by the coffee table, where the little girl was working in her coloring book. He watched her a moment before speaking. “Daddy has to go to work for awhile. Uncle Josef will come and stay with you until I get back. Okay, sweetheart?” She didn’t answer, engrossed in her coloring as only a four year old can be. “Beth?”

Beth finally looked up from her book, frowning at him. “Okay, daddy.”

“That’s my girl,” he told her, ruffling her blond hair.

Wanting to feed her before Josef arrived, Mick headed for the kitchen and his hidden refrigerator. Despite the pain he felt every time he looked at her, she really was a joy, and as well behaved as you could expect, under the circumstances. Taking out a bag of blood, he wondered again what she would have been like as an adult. It was his biggest regret; that he hadn’t gotten there in time to save her from Coraline’s sick plan. Ironic: his wife had turned the little girl into one of them so the three of them could be a family together. Instead, he’d killed Coraline, and he and Beth had become a family.

Was Josef right? Would it be more merciful to destroy her? And how long could he take care of a four year old vampire… how long would he want to? Somehow, the years went by and he managed. Maybe she was his reason for living. A way to redeem himself, make up for the monster he used to be.

Selfish, or weak?

As usual, the answers didn’t come. Empty of everything but a reason for continuing one more day, he took the glass of blood out to Beth. He sat down next to her and picked up a crayon. She passed one of the books to him. He opened it up and began coloring a picture of a smiling clown, and waited for Josef to arrive.

**The end**

7/12/08


End file.
